Every year during open enrollment, I warn people about the problems of signing up for a Medicare Advantage plan. Instead of getting health care through Medicare, with Medicare Advantage private organizations provide the service. It can be offered through an insurance company, an HMO, or a preferred provider organization. Read more →

Bank of America will pay $10 million for processing illegal, out-of-state garnishment orders against customers’ bank accounts. It froze accounts, charged fees, garnished funds, and sent payments to creditors based on court orders that should have been processed under state laws where the consumers lived. Read more →

The U.S. Department of Education announced Wednesday it will discharge all remaining federal student loans borrowed to attend any campus owned or operated by Corinthian Colleges Inc. from its founding in 1995 through its closure in 2015. As a result, 560,000 borrowers will receive $5.8 billion in loan discharges. Read more →

Major national auto repair chains need to stop offering financing through EasyPay Finance and TAB Bank, which issue loans at rates up to 189 percent even in states where that rate is illegal. A coalition of consumer groups sent letters to the corporate offices for businesses such as JiffyLube about the loans. Read more →

Twitter will pay $150 million to settle a lawsuit – filed by the U.S. Department of Justice on the Federal Trade Commission’s behalf – that said Twitter collected users’ information for one purpose, to secure accounts, and used it for another, targeted advertising, the agencies announced Monday. Read more →

The Federal Trade Commission staff is launching an inquiry into the shortage for infant formula that is caused hardship for American families. The inquiry is looking for information about any deceptive, fraudulent, or other business practices that are taking advantage of families during the shortage. Read more →

A predatory debt collection operation is being shut down for harassing consumers. The operation was made up of several companies, including JPL Recovery Solutions, which used misleading and abusive tactics to collect millions of dollars from hundreds of thousands of customers. Read more →

Intuit has agreed to a $141 million settlement to resolve allegations by 51 attorneys general that it deceptively advertised its “free” online TurboTax products. Although 70 percent of taxpayers qualify for the IRS Free File Program, operated by Intuit and others, less than 3 percent of taxpayers used it to file their returns in 2020. Read more →

April is National Financial Literacy Month. It’s a great opportunity for consumers to check and promote their financial situation and skills. For people who have just started earning or have been earning for a long time, every day is a chance to reflect on spending and improve finances.  Read more →

It’s difficult for families to make decisions about funeral arrangements fast when a loved one dies. Due to the pandemic or if they live far away, they may need to plan services by phone or online. When consumers ask for information by phone, the FTC’s Funeral Rule requires funeral providers give them accurate information. Read more →